Take A Risk
by RedLion2
Summary: This a between-the-stories story in my "Call of the Lions" series, and takes place a month after the events of "Call of the Lions." Lance pays a visit to Madison in the Mechanical Magician's hangar. Lance x OC. One-shot. Complete.


I do not own Voltron or its associated characters. Madison Dukane is an original of mine, though. Please do not borrow or steal Both Jeff and Lance would get ugly.

I am already planning to start the sequel to _Call of the Lions_ very soon, but because I feel that that particular story arc should be told by Keith and Allura, I'm going to be doing some one-shots that will complement the main story arc and be told from the other characters' points of view. A few might be a couple chapters long, but most will just be one.

This one is from Lance's POV.

CALL OF THE LIONS

TAKE A RISK

Lance stood up and stretched, feeling the muscles in his arms uncoiling. It felt good. He was helping Sven with one of the old gun turrets that had been mounted on a reinforced balcony. Keith wanted as much of the old weaponry working as possible, in case Lotor sent another robeast. It had been a month since the first attack, and in that month, they'd gotten the outer wall of the castle repaired and had made headway with some of the old defense mechanisms. Sven stood up too and grabbed the jug of water they'd brought up with them.

"Shouldn't take too much longer," he said, passing the jug to Lance after taking a long drink. It was warm today, almost approaching hot, and both men glistened with sweat.

"Be good to get this one up and running," Lance said, nodding. He took a drink and passed it back to Sven. "I'm going to go check in at the garage, see how it's coming with the lions."

Sven muttered something under his breath, causing Lance to scowl and say, "What?"

Sven flashed him an easy grin. "You really know you're only going down there to check in with Madi."

Lance sighed. "Yeah, but she's not giving me anything. She barely talks to me, half the time." He couldn't help the little bit of depression that crept into his soul and filtered through to his voice. "I just don't understand it. She seems to like me all right."

Sven stretched his hands over his head. "She's focused on getting the lions running right. And we need the lions to be back on top of their game."

"Yeah, I know that." Lance turned away. "She could at least give me a little time, though."

"I don't think she's the type of girl you normally go for," Sven said. Lance turned to catch him turning back toward the gun turret.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lance's voice picked up an edge.

Sven turned back to face him. "All I mean is that you're used to girls falling at your feet. I've heard the stories. And Madi isn't that kind of girl. She's too focused on her job. And she's AIC. She probably doesn't really trust too many people."

"I'm trustworthy," Lance shot back. He sighed and ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "But yeah, I get what you're saying."

Sven's features softened. "Give her time, man. She hasn't known us that long."

"I know." Lance turned away again. "Be back in a few."

"Take your time," Sven called.

Lance hurried down the staircase from the turret. His mind was already leaping ahead to what he would say to Madison, how he would approach her. It was true she wasn't the type of girl he normally went for – the easy mark kind. He liked to think it was because he was getting older and wiser, but the truth was that she was just so damn intriguing and different. _Special_. A grin slid over his handsome features, and he broke into a jog once he'd hit the bottom floor of the castle.

"McClain!"

Lance growled under his breath but slid to an obedient halt and waited for Kogane to catch up to him. Keith walked up to him and said, "You and Sven done already?"

"No." Lance tried to tamp down his impatience.

Keith scowled. "I want that gun working by tonight. We're pressing our luck without any working weapons on the castle."

"Yeah, I know that. Don't worry, it'll get done," Lance said, trying to sound calm and reassuring. But when Keith's scowl deepened, he added, "Look, I'm just going down to see Madison for a bit. Sven's still working on it."

"This isn't the time for romance, McClain," Keith told him.

"Yeah, you'd know that, wouldn't you? You and AC haven't touched one another in a month." The words came out much harder and colder than Lance had actually intended, and he wasn't surprised when Keith grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.

"That's none of your damn business," Keith snarled quietly. He let go of Lance, who pushed away from him and straightened his collar. "We need those guns working."

"And they will be. Trust me," Lance told him and turned away.

"They better be," Keith called after him. Lance sighed and headed out through the huge foyer. It was windy out now, a hot wind that immediately brought heat to his face as he headed down the massive stone steps leading up the castle. He knew Madison was down in the Mechanical Magician's hangar, trying to get the magical elements on the lions lined up properly. It was frustrating work for her, he knew, because they had yet to locate the keys that she and Allura thought they needed to fly and form Voltron, and the lions themselves could be as irritable and cranky as humans. Cobalt especially.

Entering the slightly cooler hangar, he paused to let his eyes adjust to the dimmer light. Flax was lying on his belly, head nestled down on his gigantic forelegs, blue eyes closed. A faint hum that Lance knew passed for a mechanical purr rumbled from somewhere down in his massive chest. He saw a flash of something silver and headed toward the lion. Madison was on her knees, working with a wrench on one of Flax's sharp claws.

"Problems?" he asked, kneeling down beside her.

She glanced at him, and he didn't miss the flash of irritation in her hazel eyes. "I'm busy, Lance."

"I can see that," he said, trying not to feel the sting of rejection. "Can I help?"

She was quiet for a few seconds and finally handed him the wrench. "Flax has gotten some large stones caught up in the joint, and he says they're hurting him." She pointed to where she'd been working. "But there's that bolt in the way that I need to get off first before I can use the pliers."

Lance nodded. "Yeah, I see it." He set the wrench on the bolt and twisted, frowning when it didn't turn. "On there pretty tight."

"I know." Madison blew out a frustrated breath. "And he won't let me near his cockpit until I get those stones out." She patted the lion's massive paw. "I really wanted to get his magical systems aligned today."

"Don't worry, you will," he said, trying to reassure her. He put some more muscle to the wrench, and the bolt loosened. Taking it off, he said, "Here, give me the pliers. I see the stones."

She handed them to him and watched as he removed the four jagged stones from the joint in the claw, then replaced the bolt. Setting the tools aside, he got to his feet and reached a hand to Madison. She hesitated before taking it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. "Thanks, Lance," she said.

"You're welcome." He wanted to reach out and wipe away the small grease stain on her right cheek, but wasn't sure the move would be appreciated.

"Are you guys done with the gun turret?" she asked, walking away from him over to a workbench.

"Not quite," he said, following her. "By tonight, though."

"Good." She turned and almost ran into him. Her cheeks immediately blossomed with color. "Um, is there something I can do for you?"

Frustration filled his chest. Why was it so difficult to talk to her? "I just wanted to see how you were doing," he finally said.

"Oh." She ducked her head and slipped by him. "I'm fine. I have a lot of work to do, so…" she let her words trail off, and he frowned. He didn't like being dismissed, especially since he'd come all the way down here to see her. He followed her over to Flax, and she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Really, Lance we both have work to do."

"Yeah, I know." He reached out and gently wiped away the grease stain, watching as her eyes widened and then narrowed slightly. "Look, I get that we've both got jobs to do, but you can't deny that you like me," he said, his voice soft.

She sighed and turned her face away. "I _do_ like you, Lance. But you're right: we have jobs to do, important jobs, and this isn't the right time for romance."

"So when is?" he asked, watching as she started to climb up the enormous paw. When her hand slipped, he immediately lunged to catch her around the waist before she could fall. "You shouldn't be doing this without someone around," he chastised, lowering her to the ground.

She tried to escape his arms, but he held fast, and she huffed out a breath. "I wouldn't slip if you weren't around distracting me."

"So you _do_ find me attractive," he teased, grinning.

Looking up at him, her eyes softened. "Yes, I do," she whispered. "That's not the issue, Lance."

"Then what is, honey?" He wanted so badly to kiss her right then, but knew it wouldn't be welcomed.

"We could be attacked again at any minute, the lions still can't fly and form Voltron, there are dangerous people living beneath the castle, and none of the castle defenses work. Oh, and the Galaxy Alliance might very well show up at any time and try to take us and the lions back to Earth." She looked beseechingly into his hazel eyes. "This can't happen between us, not yet. Not with so much uncertainty going on."

He sighed and let go of her. "Sometimes you need to take risks, Madison."

"Really?" Her eyes flashed, and there were green sparks in them. "You think I don't take risks, McClain?"  
He winced at her use of his last name. "Not with your heart, no."

Whatever it looked like she was amping up to say seemed to die on her lips, and she turned away from him. "Just go."

"Hey, come on. Don't be like that." He reached out and took hold of her shoulder, gently turning her to face him. When she refused to meet his gaze, he tilted her chin up and was instantly disturbed by the tears in her eyes. "What is it? What did I say?" he whispered.

She shook her head, pushing at his chest. "I don't want to talk about it. You should go."

But he couldn't leave her, not like this, even if she'd asked him to. "No. Whatever's bothering you, we need to talk about it," he said, and led her over to a couple of chairs Pidge had set up. She sat down in one and he pulled the other one closer. "Okay, Madison. Spill. What's wrong?"

She looked down at her hands, twisted together in her lap, and said softly, "You said I need to take more risks with my heart. I did take one, not so long ago, and it fell apart around me."

"What happened?" he asked, reaching out to take her left hand. Holding it between both of his, he rubbed it, hating how cold it felt and wanting to warm her up.

"He was a lot like you," she whispered, glancing up at him. "Funny, brave, a great pilot. Very handsome. And I thought he honestly liked me, the _real_ me, not the spy. But he was only after intel I had, and once he got it, he told me he'd never been interested, that I was so cold no one would ever be able to reach me. He said I was the consummate ice queen. The perfect spy." Her voice trembled and she tried to pull her hand from his, but he held fast. "Lance, please—"

"Stop, Madison," he said. Anger burned through him at the way she'd been treated. "That isn't the real you. I know it's not. Yes, you are great at your job, but that doesn't mean that you don't feel things. He should never have said that to you." He couldn't keep the hum of anger out of his voice. "I'm sorry he made you feel that way. But you should know I don't think that. I think you're intelligent, beautiful, sexy as hell, and I want to date you."

Her eyes widened and she inhaled a shaky breath. "You barely know me. How can you think all that already?"

"Honey, I've known all that from the first time I saw you," he said, his voice now gentle. "You deserve someone who will take care of you, protect you if you need it, be there for you. And I can do that. All of it." He let a little fierceness slip into his voice, because he wanted her to believe him. He squeezed her hand, waiting for her to speak again. When she didn't, he added, "I'm willing to wait, until we get this castle and the lions up to snuff. But I'm not going to stop paying attention to you. I can't."

She gave him a tremulous smile. "I'm damaged goods, Lance. So damaged. You can't even begin to imagine the things I've done for the AIC."

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. You're a part of this team. You're one of the last two surviving Mechanical Magicians." He raised a hand to her face, expecting her to shy away, but instead, she leaned into his touch, and his heart jumped. "And you're worth it, honey. No matter how long it takes you to trust me, really trust me, you're worth it."

She took a couple of deep breaths, and he realized she was struggling to control her emotions, something that she didn't have to do for him. "Thank you, but—"

"Let me stop you right there," he said, putting a finger to her lips. "I know you're used to having to hide everything, including the way you feel, but you don't have to do that for me." He swept the back of his fingers along her cheek bone. "I'm not afraid of you, Madison. Whatever you did as a spy, that's in the past now. " He wanted to tell her that he hadn't always done the right thing, hadn't always been the upstanding man he knew he should've been. But she probably already knew that. Lord knew his reputation often preceded him.

"I appreciate all that, really. But it doesn't change the fact that this is not the time." She pulled her hand from his and got to her feet. "I really like you, Lance, and I'm learning that I can trust you. Not just you, but everyone on the team. But we have jobs to do, because Lotor _will_ be back. And he'll be after you and Allura, because you two are the rulers, the rightful rulers." She bit her lip and softly added, "And there's that, too."

"That what?" he asked, getting up. He wasn't about to lose her now, not when he'd had her so close.

She gave him a sad smile, the one he'd seen far too often on her beautiful face. "Lance, you're royalty."

His heart sank as he realized the direction she was heading, and he shook his head vehemently. "Stop. I don't buy into all that royalty crap, where the prince has to be with a princess. You should know that. Allura doesn't believe in that, either. She's with Keith, and he's a royal guard."

"I know." She took another step backward. "But the people—"

"What people? The cannibals? Romelle and her men?" He snorted. "Please, you can't use them as an argument." He took a long step, putting himself back into her comfort zone. "Let's face it, Madison Dukane, you're scared of being with someone again. Hell, you might even be scared of _me_." He took hold of her shoulders, because he knew she'd try to back away again. He leaned closer to her face, watching the green flecks in her hazel eyes grow larger. "But you don't have to be afraid of me. I promise. I will always do my best to take care of and protect you." He saw her pulse fluttering in her throat. "I'm going to keep pursuing you, Madison. I've never met a woman like you, not even Allura. And you're going to realize I'm the right man for you." He brought one hand up to touch her cheek. "And now I'm going to kiss you."

Instead of the backlash he expected, she tilted her head back a little, and he could see the anxiety in her eyes, mixed with longing. "Then do it," she whispered.

He brought his mouth to hers, firm but still gentle, letting her know how serious he was. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him, and that was all the encouragement from her he needed. He deepened the kiss, seeking not only to show her how he felt, but also because he wanted to know her, intimately. He wanted all of her, but knew that would be a ways off, and he wanted to do that right, by getting married first, because he _was_ going to marry her. Hell _yeah_ , he was. She kissed him carefully at first, like she wasn't sure she could trust him, could let him in, but then her inner resolve, those walls she'd so delicately constructed, fell away, and they were kissing like they needed each other to breathe. Lance thought his head and heart were going to explode, because he hadn't known it could feel like this. He'd kissed plenty of women, had slept with a few too, but none of them had ever sent fire all through his body, piercing his soul and scorching it. She was a bright, burning flame, and he was nothing but a moth, a flyboy who couldn't get enough of her.

Only when he sensed she was struggling for air did he break away, breathing hard, panting. She leaned into him, holding tight, and he could feel every gasping breath she took. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and safe. From this moment on, she was _his_ to love and protect and cherish, and he was going to do those things to his utmost. And he wasn't going to back off, like Keith had done with Allura. Hell, he wasn't sure he _could_ , even if she asked him to. That Keith and Allura would do it was just ridiculous, in his eyes. They were in love, and they should be together instead of pushing themselves constantly to fix everything. They'd get the defenses on the castle working, and Madison, Hunk, and Pidge would fix the lions.

"You okay?" he whispered, after she'd stopped trembling so hard. She pulled her head back from his chest, and he saw the soft glow in her eyes, a glow that he'd never seen, and knew it was because of him.

She nodded, and whispered, "Are you?"

He flashed her that grin that had won him favor from every woman he'd ever met, and knew now it was _her_ smile, and hers alone. "Yeah. I didn't scare you, did I, honey?"

"No." She leaned back into him, and he tightened his hold, willing to stand her and hold her forever if that's what she needed. He knew, instinctively, that he would do whatever necessary to always keep her safe and happy, and that included laying down his own life if it came to that.

Someone cleared their throat behind her, and she jumped. Lance immediately tightened his hold, reassuring her, and looked up to see Keith standing there, his arms crossed over his chest. Madison pushed a little on Lance's chest, and he dropped his arms from around her, but kept hold of her hand. "Keith," she said, and Lance was amazed by how quickly her demeanor changed, how fast she was able to rein in her emotions. He knew it was her AIC training, but it was still disturbing, and he hoped he'd be able to convince her that she didn't need to hide her emotions from him or the others.

"Madison." Keith's voice was neutral. "Have you gotten Flax online yet?"  
"No." She took a step away from Lance, but he held her hand captive, not willing to let her go just yet. "He had some rocks caught up in one of his claw joints, and they were hurting him. He wouldn't let me near his cockpit until I'd gotten those out." Her voice matched Keith's.

"And did you?" he asked.

"I did, with Lance's help," she said. "I'm hoping to have Flax online by tonight."

Keith's dark eyes flickered to Lance, who stared straight at him, unapologetic for being here, for distracting Madison. "Sven could probably use your help with the gun turret," Keith told him, but his voice remained calm and neutral.

"Yeah, I'm headed back up there in a few minutes," Lance told him, not yet willing to leave Madison.

Keith nodded and started to turn away, but stopped. He seemed to be trying to decide something, and finally turned back to face them. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I don't care if you two are together, but the work has to come first."

"We know," Lance said, nodding. "Don't worry, it's going to get done."

Keith turned to go again, and Madison said, "Keith."

"Yeah?" he said.

"Don't let the work get between you and Allura. She needs you, even if she doesn't think she does," she said, her voice soft.

He met her eyes, and though he didn't say anything, a small smile tipped the edges of his lips. He gave a slight nod and left the hangar, and she turned to look up at Lance. "This isn't going to be easy, Lance, you know that."

"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning. "We are together, now, right?"

"Yes," she said, but it was hesitant. "I want to be with you, but it's not going to be easy for me, sometimes, because I'm not used to trusting someone. The only person I've really let myself trust since I joined the AIC is Jeff. Even my own CO I didn't ever truly trust, because they teach you trust can be broken, can be used against you." Her voice was heavy with regret and sadness, and his heart went out to her.

"You trusted your CO about Voltron, and the lions," he gently reminded her. "And he was right about all that."

"Yes, but there were the journals, too, that backed him up." She sighed. "You're going to have to be patient with me, I guess, is what I'm trying to say."

"I can do that, honey. I've got all the time in the world," he assured her. "And I can be hot-headed and impatient, I know, but not with you."

She smiled and stretched up on her toes to softly kiss him. "You should go. It's not fair that Sven be doing all the heavy work up there."

"Yeah, I know. I just really needed to see you," he said. "But you're right, he needs help." He reluctantly stepped away from her, adding, "I'll see you tonight at dinner, right? You need to eat, keep up your strength."

Her eyes flashed for a second, and she bit her lip. "I need to get Flax going. I'll come eat with you guys if I'm done by then."

"If I don't see you, I'll bring you something," he said, reaching to touch her face one more time before leaving. "I'm going to take care of you, whether you want me to or not. You're my Honey now." He smiled to lessen the soft reprimand.

She nodded. "I'll take care of you, too, because believe it or not, you need someone."

"Yeah, you." He moved close and took her delicate face in his hands, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Don't forget that, honey. I'll see you tonight, one way or another." And then he turned and walked out, because if he stayed another second, he wasn't going to be able to leave. And as he walked back up the steps carved into the cliff toward the Castle of Lions, he grinned to himself, happy that Madison, his Honey, had been willing to take a risk with her heart.


End file.
